The kid who was signed on a napkin

“When I saw him at the airport, I said to myself: ‘This kid’s too small to play football.’ I thought they’d tricked me.” When the kid started kicking a ball, however, any doubts about his ability were quickly dispelled.

Now, over 15 years later, the diminutive genius in question is the proud owner of five FIFA Ballons d’Or, while the man recalling the very first day he set eyes on him is the proud owner of a napkin, a very valuable napkin, one that changed the history of FC Barcelona.

That man is Horacio Gaggioli, a football agent long based in Spain, who had heard great things from his Argentinian partners of a very talented boy from Rosario by the name of Lionel Messi. The kid was only 11 when those reports started coming through, which was too young by Gaggioli’s reckoning.

Two years later, however, and he was ready to cross the Atlantic, as Gaggioli explained in an interview with FIFA.com: “The family wanted him to try out with a European team, in whichever city I was living in so that he’d have a contact there. At the time I was about to go and work for a company in Madrid and I asked them to hold on so I could sort out my future and see where he could have his trial. If I ended up going to the capital, we’d have a try-out with Real Madrid or Atletico.”

WWE Wrestler Bret Hart Reveals He Has Prostate Cancer

Not giving up. Former WWE wrestler Bret Hart revealed in a moving Instagram post on Monday, February 1, that he has prostate cancer.

The longtime entertainer and athlete, 58, posted the news alongside a photo with his two young grandchildren.

"My fans have always looked upon me as a hero and I've always done my best to live up to that in and out of the ring. I beat the odds when I suffered my stroke in 2002, but it is now yet again, that I ... stand unafraid and face the tough road ahead of me, I will march toward this destiny with his spirit chanting in my ear," he wrote to his fans, noting that he will undergo surgery in the next few days.

"I make a solemn vow to all of those that once believed in me, the dead and the living, that I will wage my fearsome fight against cancer with one shield and one sword carrying my determination and my fury for life, emboldened by all the love that's kept me going this long already," he continued. "Love is my weapon and I've got much of it around me all the time, for which I'm truly blessed and eternally grateful."

Bobbi Kristina Brown’s Aunt Leolah Vows To Expose The Truth Of Niece’s Mysterious Death

A year after Bobbi Kristina Brown was found unconscious and face down in the bathtub of her Atlanta, Georgia townhouse, fans, relatives, and admirers alike are still awaiting details about just what happened to the 22-year-old daughter of pop diva Whitney Houston and R&B crooner Bobby Brown.

But Bobbi Kristina’s aunt, Leolah Brown, wrote a lengthy Facebook post on Wednesday saying that she knows exactly what happened to her and will reveal it in a forthcoming book.

One thing for sure is that authorities in Fulton County, Georgia say they know how Bobbi died, but a court order has blocked the release of that information until further notice.

We also know that her estate has hit long-time boyfriend, Nick Gordon, with a $40 million wrongful death lawsuit, claiming that he fought with Brown on January 31, gave her a toxic cocktail, and then put her face down in the tub of water in which he later claimed to find her.

Shocking footage appears to show a group of migrant men 'attacking two pensioners after they stood up for a woman they were harassing on the Munich subway'

Shocking footage has surfaced online appearing to show a group of young migrants attacking two German pensioners after they stood up for a young women the men were harassing on a subway train.

Recorded on a mobile phone, the disgraceful video shows the men - of Eastern European or Arabic origin - holding one man by the arms as they verbally abuse him.

The second victim is seen grappling with one of the migrants, before he is held up by the neck and threatened.

Munich man Tom Roth uploaded the disgraceful video to his Facebook page. He caught the footage while travelling from Sendlinger Tor station to the Metro's city centre terminal.

He said the fight broke out after one of the asylum seekers was rejected by a woman who he had placed his hand upon on the train.

In response, the man smashed his hand against the carriage's glass window - an aggressive act of defiance the train's other passengers requested he desist.

However, when they did, one elderly German man was patted mockingly on the head by one of the migrant group.

That act of disrespect sparked an angry exchange

Translated, the post accompanying Mr Roth's video upload reads: 'A young woman was attacked on the subway. When two old men tried to intervene, they too were attacked.

'This was in the heart of Munich, in the middle of the day. I got on the train at Sendlinger Tor travelling to the main railway station. I sat in a four-seater, across from a young lady.

'In the four-way behind her sat two asylum seekers. One of them, a young man, probably of Arab origin, bothered the woman.

'He said something to her and asked: "Why will you not answer me on German?"

Recorded on a mobile phone, the disgraceful video shows the men - of Eastern European or Arabic origin - holding one man by the arms as they verbally abuse him. The second victim is seen grappling with one of the migrants, before he is held up by the neck and threatened (pictured)

Two AK47s and more than 200 guns and knives surrendered as stabbed teacher joins amnesty call

This footage shows the huge weapon haul handed in to police after calls from teacher who was stabbed in the classroom.

Bradford teacher Vincent Uzomah joined the campaign for people to give up their weapons.

Two AK47s were among the 80 guns given up along with 150 knives in the West Yorkshire Police campaign.

Mr Uzomah was working as a teacher at Dixons Kings Academy in Bradford in June last year when he was stabbed by a teenage boy.

The untreatable Zika virus has been declared an international public health emergency

There's a new virus called Zika spreading in South America, and on Monday it was declared a "public health emergency of international concern" by the World Health Organization, officially establishing it as a serious threat.

Zika, which has no cure, has been documented in the United States, but only among travelers. And itmay be linked with two more serious complications:

• A dangerous birth defect known as microcephaly
• A rare but often temporary disorder where the immune system attacks its own nerve cells

Here's a rundown of the good and bad news about the virus.

First, the good news: Zika israrely fatal (no deaths have yet been documented in people with Zika virus and no other illnesses). Symptoms of the virus are similar to those of a cold or fever.

And the bad news: It may be linked with a dangerous birth defect known as microcephaly, where babies are born with abnormally small heads. The CDC is also working to determine if there may be a link between Zika and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a rare disorder where your immune system attacks itself, damaging the nerve cells and leading to muscle weakness and occassionally paralysis. In general, symptoms of GBS last anywhere from several weeks to a few months. Most people fully recover, but others may have permanent damage. In rare cases, it can be fatal.

A 19-year-old Belgian cyclist got caught cheating at the world championships after racing a bike that had a motor hidden in the frame

wielerman  1 day ago

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Cycling officials on Saturday detained a bicycle ridden during the cyclocross world championships in Zolder, Belgium, to investigate "technological fraud," and on Sunday they confirmed the bike had a concealed motor in the frame.

The International Cycling Union said the bike belonged to 19-year-old Belgian Femke Van den Driessche.

Update (Monday, 8:05 a.m. ET): The AP reports that Italian manufacturer Wilier Triestina says it will sue Van den Driessche.

It is the first official case of "mechanical doping" or "bike doping" at cycling's highest level. If used at the right time during a race even a small motor can provide a critical burst of power and speed.

For years there has been speculation in cycling that motorized cheating might be happening at the sport's highest professional level, but it has never been revealed until now.